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Daniel Craig dons drag, is interrogated by 'M' about gender equality

March 7, 2011 | 2:31
pm

Daniel Craig has donned a sundress, clip-on earrings and a blond wig as James Bond in support of Tuesday's 100th anniversary of International Women's Day.

In the video, Craig stands expressionless in a suit looking straight into the lens as an off-camera narrator recites a litany of statistics illustrating injustices faced by women. And who might the holier-than-thou narrator be? The one and only Judi Dench as "M," the 007 character she has portrayed for more than a decade.

The actor was commissioned for the two-minute clip by Equals, a British coalition of organizations that work together to celebrate holiday on March 8 annually.

About halfway through the clip, M asks, "For someone with such a fondness for women, I wonder if you've ever considered what it means to be one?"

Craig then walks out of frame and comes back dressed in drag — or as the organization puts it, "quite literally, in women's shoes." As the statistics get harsher, he removes the wig and continues to stare off into space.

Sorry, ladies. The dress stays on.

"Bond is challenged by 'M' to think about gender inequality, and I hope that the film encourages viewers to do the same," said "Nowhere Boy" director Sam Taylor-Wood, who also directed the clip, in a statement. "Kick Ass" writer Jane Goldman scripted the short.

"Despite great advances in women's rights, statistics show that when it comes to the balance of power between the sexes, equality is far from being a global reality," he said. "As 'M' reminds Bond, facing up to gender issues and the sometimes covert nature of sexism in the 21st century is something that we all have to recognise, confront and challenge."